Carbon capture systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Devices, systems and methods for capturing CO2 in a form that can be stored, processed, and/or converted to usable products is desirable. Systems capture CO2 using small scale, individual devices at a vast number of locations which, in the aggregate, are capable of significantly decreasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere on a global scale. When such small devices are placed in areas already occupied with a structure, i.e., office buildings, apartments, homes, automobiles and the like, though the amount of CO2 removal by each individual device may be relatively small, in the aggregate, significant amounts of CO2 may be removed at a more macro or even global scale.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of small scale systems and methodsfor removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

BACKGROUND

As the fear of global warming increases day by day and as documented bythe world's scientific community, immediate action must be taken toreduce CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere on a global scale. In thisregard, CO₂ emissions come from a variety of sources on the planet andreducing this gas is paramount in slowing and stopping global warming.

A variety of existing systems have been developed to capture CO₂ at thesource of CO₂ emissions, such as at the exhaust towers of electric powerplants. For example, some systems include scrubbing gasses containingcarbon dioxide with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide to react thecarbon dioxide to form a first aqueous solution containing sodiumcarbonate, and then separating the anhydrous sodium carbonate from thefirst aqueous solution. Then, the anhydrous sodium carbonate is treatedby causticization to generate carbon dioxide and sodium hydroxide. Othersystems use a vacuum chamber for a direct air capture by enclosing aninterior space with a housing that has an absorber therein. Gas can becirculated through a vacuum chamber and past the absorber structure toabsorb CO₂.

However, these devices focus on large scale industrial applications, areexpensive and may have their own respective adverse environmentalimpacts. They are not suitable to low air volume and low flows thatcapture carbon in the home or smaller scale settings.

Thus, systems and methods that capture CO₂ in a form that can be stored,processed, and/or converted to usable products is desirable. Inparticular, desirable systems capture CO₂ using small scale, individualdevices at a vast number of locations which, in the aggregate, arecapable of significantly decreasing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphereon a global scale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure comprises devices, systems and methods forcapturing CO₂ in a form that can be stored, processed, and/or convertedto usable products is desirable. The present disclosure contemplatessystems that capture CO₂ using small scale, individual devices at a vastnumber of locations which, in the aggregate, are capable ofsignificantly decreasing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere on aglobal scale. For example, in contrast to attempting to remove largerquantities of CO₂ in smaller areas which could have their owncorresponding negative environmental impacts, when small devices areplaced in areas already occupied with a structure, i.e., officebuildings, apartments, homes, automobiles and the like, though theamount of CO₂ removal by each individual device may be relatively small,in the aggregate, significant amounts of CO₂ may be removed at a moremacro or even global scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings provide a further understanding of theinvention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of thisspecification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and togetherwith the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of an embodiment of a CO₂ removaldevice having a housing, a carriage and a cartridge in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a carriage of a CO₂removal device in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of an embodiment of a cartridgeof a CO₂ removal device in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front view of an embodiment of a housing ofa CO₂ removal device in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a sealing plate inaccordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a sealing plateattached to a cartridge in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 shows the flow of air through an embodiment of a CO₂ removaldevice in accordance with the present disclosure;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various aspectsof the present invention may be realized by any number of methods andapparatuses configured to perform the intended functions. Stateddifferently, other methods and apparatuses may be incorporated herein toperform the intended functions. It should also be noted that theaccompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not all drawn toscale but may be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of thepresent invention, and in that regard, the drawing figures should not beconstrued as limiting. Finally, although the present invention may bedescribed in connection with various principles and beliefs, the presentinvention should not be bound by theory.

The above being noted, the present disclosure contemplates systems andmethods that capture CO₂ in a form that can be either stored, processed,and/or converted to usable products. In particular, systems developed tocapture CO₂ using small scale, individual devices to capture CO₂ in avast number of locations in the aggregate are capable of significantlydecreasing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere on a global scale.

For example, in contrast to attempting to remove larger quantities ofCO₂ in smaller areas which could have their own corresponding negativeenvironmental impacts, by removing smaller quantities of CO₂ from theambient air utilizing smaller scale devices may be desirable and lessimpactful on the environment. For example, by placing such devices in avery large number of locations, the aggregate of the smaller quantitiesof CO₂ removed become significant—millions of households and automobilesremoving just a few pounds of CO₂ each can remove many millions ofpounds of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure and withreference to FIG. 1, a CO₂ removal device 100 comprises a housing 120, acarriage 140, and a cartridge 160. The housing 120, carriage 140 andcartridge 160 may each be made of any suitable material now known or asyet unknown in the art, including polymers, metals, ceramics and othermaterials.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, thecarriage 140 functions to support the cartridge 160 and/or the housing120. In general, the carriage 140 is configured for simple andoptionally, removable, attachment to office buildings, homes,apartments, automobiles and the like, and in some embodiments, thosestructures' air handling and treatment systems. In alternativeembodiments, the carriage 140 may be a free standing unit, unattached toany other structure (other than the other components of the CO₂ removaldevice 100).

The carriage 140 can secure a removable cartridge 160 by mechanicalengagement between the two components. For example, with reference toFIG. 2, the carriage 140 may have a bottom support ledge 152 forsupporting the cartridge 160. In various embodiments, the bottom supportledge 152 may have a substantially similar profile to a bottom cap 170and may have a ledge guide 144 for engaging and aligning the cartridge160 (as described below).

The carriage 140 may further comprise one or more alignment guides 146to ensure the cartridge 160 is aligned so a male air inlet pin 193 and amale air exit pin 194 properly pierce a sealing film on the cartridge160. Rubber gaskets for hermetically sealing the housing 120 andcartridge 160 may be provided as well.

Additionally, for example, with continued reference to FIG. 2, alignmentguides 146 are illustrated as “arms” which may also grip the cartridge160 and secure it in place. The alignment guides 146 may be suitableflexible and oriented slightly smaller than a width or diameter of thecartridge 160 such that the cartridge 160 and alignment guides 146engage in a “snap fit” manner. Additionally, the cartridge 160 may alsohave a guiding mechanism 188 (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the one ormore alignment guides 146 of the carriage 140, such as an indentation orother configuration that assists with the engagement and properplacement of the cartridge 160 on or in the carriage 140. In variousembodiments and as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the alignment guides146 and/or guiding mechanism 188 are located approximately halfway upthe carriage 140, though the location of the alignment guides 146 andguiding mechanism 188 may vary depending on the application.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the cartridge 160 isconfigured as a vessel with an internal volume capable of containing aliquid such as a CO₂ absorbing solution (as described in more detailbelow). The cartridge 160 is typically cylindrical, though other shapesand configurations may be desirable and are within the scope of thepresent disclosure. Depending on the particular application and designconsiderations, the size of the cartridge 160 may vary based onconsiderations such as the desired amount and speed of carbon absorptionof the CO₂ absorbing solution, the amount of CO₂ present in theenvironment, and other factors.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, the CO₂absorbing solution is a solution of sodium carbonate or othercommercially available CO₂ absorbing solution exhibiting phase change toa sodium bicarbonate precipitate. For example, potassium carbonate orother amines may be used and fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure. The volume of CO₂ absorbing solution is determined by therequirements of the specific size reaction chamber.

With reference to FIG. 3, the cartridge 160 may comprise a cartridgebody 162 having a cartridge top portion 164 that connects with aremovable top cap 166. The cartridge top portion 164 and top cap 166 maybe threaded so that they may screw together via their respectivethreads. Similarly, the cartridge 160 may also comprise a cartridgebottom 168 that connects with a removable bottom cap 170. The bottom cap170 may have a ledge guide engagement mechanism 145 for example, in theform of an indentation that engages the ledge guide 144.

The cartridge bottom 168 and bottom cap 170 may be threaded so that theymay screw together via their respective threads. The top cap 166 andbottom cap 170 may be comprised of the same material as the cartridgebody 162 or either or both may be comprised of material different thanthe cartridge body 162. Additionally, rather than via a threadedconnection, the top cap 166 and bottom cap 170 may connect via analternative mechanism such as via a “snap-fit” or other hermeticallysealable locking mechanism.

With continued reference to FIG. 3 and in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the top cap 166 is providedhaving an air inlet female pin receptacle 180 and an air exit female pinreceptacle 182. The air inlet female pin receptacle 180 allows air toenter the cartridge 160 and the air exit female pin receptacle 182allows air to exit the cartridge 160 after passing through the CO₂absorbing solution. A primary purpose of the top cap 166 is to allow thefilling and then closing of the cartridge 160 and to provide thestructure for creating a sealed interface between the cartridge 160 andthe housing 120 (as described herein). The size of the top cap 166 isdetermined by the size of the cartridge 160. Once filled and sealed, thecartridge 160 can be transported to a designated location. In accordancewith various aspects of the present disclosure, the air inlet female pinreceptacle 180 and the air exit female pin receptacle 182 may beconnected to a check valves 178, 183 to prevent the CO₂ absorbingsolution from leaking from the cartridge 160.

The top cap 166 may comprise a flexible tube 174 connected to the firstcheck valve 178 at the top of the top cap 166 and connected to anaerator 186 (as described below) located towards the bottom 168 of thecartridge 160. The flexible tube 174 is made from any suitable tubingable to withstand the CO₂ absorbing solution (e.g., PVC, rubber, metal,etc.), with a diameter based on the internal volume of the cartridge 160and the volume of air required for the CO₂ absorbing solution to absorbCO₂ over a certain unit of time.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, the cartridge 160 may comprise alatching mechanism 172 to help connect the cartridge 160 and the housing120. For example, in accordance with the present disclosure, thecartridge 160 can be held in place with a latching mechanism 172comprised of a clip that follows the circumference of cartridge 160reaching the other end of the alignment guide 146. The clip can connectto the other side and snap into place, putting the pressure against thecircumference of the cartridge 160 and thus holding it in place.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the housing 120 is configuredto engage the cartridge 160 in a hermetically sealed manner and inaccordance with various aspects, the housing 120 engages, for example,the cartridge 160 from above.

In accordance with the present disclosure and with reference to FIGS. 1,2 and 4, the housing 120 may contain a handle 199, an air pump 191, acomputer circuit board 192, the male air inlet pin 193, and the male airexit pin 194. In accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure, an on/off switch 197 for powering the air pump 191 may beprovided, for example, on the housing 120. Various handles mayalternatively be located on the carriage 140 and/or cartridge 160 aswell. The housing 120 may have an air inlet vent 195 for air to enterthe CO₂ removal device 100 and an exterior vent 202 for air to exit theCO₂ removal device 100. The male air inlet pin 193 and the male air exitpin 194 are both generally located on the bottom portion of the housing120.

In some embodiments, the exterior vent 202 may have a flexible tube 205connected to the male air exit pin 194 on located the bottom of thehousing 120. A primary purpose of the connection between the exteriorvent 202 and the male air exit pin 194 is to vent air in the CO₂ removaldevice 100 and to prevent pressure build-up. Unreacted air is thusremoved from the CO₂ removal device 100. The diameter of the male airexit pin 194, tube 205 and exterior vent 202 may be determined by thevolume of air required based on the composition of the air, volume ofair desired and similar factors.

Additionally, in accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure, the housing 120 may have a pin type electrical connection topower the air pump and other electronics and may have a light (e.g., anLED) indicating proper operation of the CO₂ removal device 100.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure and withreference to FIG. 4 and back to FIG. 2, the carriage 140 may incorporatea sliding mechanism such as a “dovetail” design to engage the housing120. The sliding mechanism allows connection and easy movement of thehousing 120 in a vertical direction (as described below). For example,the sliding mechanism 142 a on the carriage 140 is the “female” side ofthe dovetail and, as described below, engages a “male” side of thedovetail 142 b to facilitate connection between the carriage 140 and thecartridge 160 (though these orientations may be reversed). The slidingmechanism 142 may be made of the same material as the carriage 140and/or housing 120 or any alternatively suitable material, depending onthe particular application.

In operation, the housing 120 connects to the carriage 140 using thesliding mechanism 142 a,b on the side of the carriage 140 by sliding ina vertical motion until the housing 120 engages the cartridge 160. Asthe housing 120 engages the cartridge 160, the mail air inlet pin 193and the male air exit pin 194 pierce the sealing film on the cartridge160 so that ambient air can enter and leave the internal volume of thecartridge 160. In accordance with various embodiments, the housing 120may be engaged with the cartridge 160 either before or after thecartridge 160 is attached to the carriage 140.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, FIGS. 6and 7 illustrate an exemplary sealing plate 210 for sealing the carbonabsorbing solution for safe shipping of the cartridge 160, either orboth prior to use of the cartridge 160 and after use of the cartridge160. The sealing plate 210 is generally configured to match the size ofthe top cap 166. The sealing plate 210 may have a latching mechanism 212configured to lock the sealing cap in place on the cartridge 160 and/orsealing pins 214 which engage the air inlet female pin receptacle 180and the air exit female pin receptacle 182 during transport and the like(see FIG. 7).

As noted above, in accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure, the cartridge 160 comprises an internal volume (or reactionchamber) containing the CO₂ absorbing solution and the aeration system.The aeration system may comprise a conventional air pump 191 powered byany conventional means, including battery (DC, which may also berechargeable), a solar panel 196, or wired power (e.g., AC). The airpump 191 supplies the ambient air to the CO₂ removal device 100. Thepower requirements and size of the air pump 191 may be determined by thevolume of air required based on the composition of the air, volume ofair desired and similar factors.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, thehousing 120 may have an air inlet vent 195 connecting an exterior airinlet tube 203 to the air pump 191. A second tube 204 connects the airpump 191 to the top of a male air inlet pin 193. When the housing 120 islowered into place, the male air inlet pin 193 engages the air inletfemale pin receptacle 180 located on the cartridge 160.

In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, theaeration system further comprises an aerator 186. The aerator 186 is anydevice capable of creating nano sized bubbles, for example, in the rangeof about 1 mm to about 50 mm, though the size of the bubbles may varyoutside this range depending on the application. The nano sized bubblesprovided by the air pump 191 increase the surface area of the airbubbles and maximize contact between the air and CO₂ absorbing solution.For example, in some embodiments, the aerator 186 is commerciallyavailable air stone made of a material sufficient to withstand beingdissolved by the CO₂ absorbing solution. The aeration device is asdetermine by the requirements of the specific size reaction chamber.

FIG. 7 shows the flow of air through the CO₂ removal device 100 inaccordance with the present disclosure. More specifically, air is drawnthrough the inlet vent 195 into the tube 203 by the air pump 191. Theair is then pushed into the second tube 204 connecting the air pump 191and the male air inlet pin 193. Air then travels through the flexibletube 174 to the aerator 186 and distributed as nano bubbles travelingvertically to the top through the CO₂ absorbing solution. The air thenexits the CO₂ absorbing solution and enters the male air exit pin 194,through a tube 205, and exits through the exterior vent 202.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, a computersystem may log atmospheric conditions and operating parameters of theCO₂ removal device 100. For example, in some embodiments, a computercircuit board 192 may be incorporated into the housing 120 to trackvarious atmospheric conditions, air pump 191 operation, temperature,humidity, time, date, location, power produced, power used, air flow,and a unit ID of the CO₂ removal device 100 or the like. Data from thecomputer system may be transmitted to a central monitoring system orother point (cell phone, remote computer, etc.) via any now known or asyet unknown communication system such as ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetoothwireless or the like.

After designated period of time based upon the size of the CO₂ removaldevice 100, the cartridge 160 can be removed and sent to a facility,manufacturer or the like that will provide a replacement cartridge 160to repeat the process. The cartridge 160 may be packaged and sent to anorganization able to process the cartridge and extract the reactedcarbon and recalibrate the cartridge for reuse.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Forexample, numerous materials, shapes, sizes and configurations can besubstituted in place of those described herein. Thus, the presentinvention covers the modifications and variations of this inventionprovided they come within the scope of the appended claims and theirequivalents.

I claim:
 1. A CO₂ removal device, comprising: a housing, a carriage anda removable cartridge; wherein the removable cartridge comprises a topcap, a reaction chamber containing a CO₂ absorbing solution, and anaerator; and wherein the top cap further comprises an air inlet femalepin and an air exit female pin, wherein the air inlet female pin isconnected to a first check valve and the air exit female pin isconnected to a second check valve; and a first flexible tube to connectthe first check valve to the aerator.
 2. The CO₂ removal device of claim1, wherein the carriage comprises a bottom support ledge that supportsthe removable cartridge and the bottom support ledge having a ledgeguide.
 3. The CO₂ removal device of claim 2, wherein the removablecartridge further comprises a bottom cap, the bottom cap having a ledgeguide engagement mechanism that engages the ledge guide.
 4. The CO₂removal device of claim 1, wherein the carriage comprises at least onealignment guide that engages the removable cartridge to at least one ofalign the removable cartridge on the carriage and secure the removablecartridge to the carriage.
 5. The CO₂ removal device of claim 4, whereinthe removable cartridge further comprises a guiding mechanism thatengages the at least one alignment guide.
 6. The CO₂ removal device ofclaim 1, wherein the carriage and the housing comprise a slidingmechanism that connects the carriage and the housing.
 7. The CO₂ removaldevice of claim 6, wherein the sliding mechanism is a dovetail.
 8. TheCO₂ removal device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a male airinlet pin and a male air exit pin.
 9. The CO₂ removal device of claim 8,wherein the housing further comprises an air inlet vent connecting anexterior air inlet tube to an air pump and a second tube connecting theair pump to the male air inlet pin.
 10. The CO₂ removal device of claim8, wherein the housing and cartridge are configured such that when thehousing engages the removable cartridge, the male air inlet pin engagesthe air inlet female pin and the male air exit pin engages the air exitfemale pin.
 11. The CO₂ removal device of claim 10, wherein the housingcomprises an exterior vent.
 12. The CO₂ removal device of claim 1,wherein the housing further comprises an air pump.
 13. The CO₂ removaldevice of claim 12, wherein the air pump is powered by at least one of abattery, a solar panel, or wired power.
 14. The CO₂ removal device ofclaim 1, wherein the CO₂ absorbing solution is a solution of sodiumcarbonate.
 15. The CO₂ removal device of claim 1, further comprising asealing plate.
 16. The CO₂ removal device of claim 1, wherein thehousing comprises a computer circuit board.
 17. A CO₂ removal device,comprising: a housing, wherein the housing further comprises: an airpump; a male air inlet pin and a male air exit pin; an air inlet ventconnecting an exterior air inlet tube to the air pump and a second tubeconnecting the air pump to the male air inlet pin; and an exterior vent;a removable cartridge, the removable cartridge further comprising: areaction chamber containing a sodium carbonate solution and an aerator;a bottom cap, the bottom cap having a ledge guide engagement mechanism;a guiding mechanism; and a top cap, the top cap further comprising anair inlet female pin and an air exit female pin, wherein the air inletfemale pin is connected to a first check valve and the air exit femalepin is connected to a second check valve, and a first flexible tube toconnect the first check valve to the aerator; and a carriage, thecarriage further comprising: a bottom support ledge that supports theremovable cartridge and the bottom support ledge having a ledge guidethat engages the ledge guide engagement mechanism; and an alignmentguide that engages the guiding mechanism.
 18. The CO₂ removal device ofclaim 17, wherein the housing further comprises a computer circuitboard.